Family festivals offer a day of celebration and discovery inspired by exhibitions at the Getty Villa. Each unique festival features performances by local dance and music groups, storytelling, art-making workshops, and gallery activities.

. . . to this daylong festival exploring the role of Pompeii in the popular cultural imagination through crafting, performances, and other family-friendly adventures. Pose for a family portrait in front of Mount Vesuvius. Appear in an art-inspired theatrical spectacle. Or create a flow of volcanic lava to wear on your head!

Fleeing Pompeii — A Captured Moment with Snap Yourself11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Become a part of the pictorial tradition of fleeing Vesuvius! Strike a pose with your loved ones, inspired by the paintings on view in Floor 2 of the Museum's galleries. The professional photographers of Snap Yourself will create a unique family portrait "in flight," shot before the panoramic landscape of the smoldering volcano.

Become a theatrical designer and create set pieces for the PyroDrama performances in the Auditorium later in the day (see below). You can also construct Pompeian stage props, see them used by actors onstage, and finally bring them home as souvenirs after the show.

Music Inspired by The Last Days of Pompeii — with dublab10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
The dublab DJs spin musical sets inspired by the three themes of the exhibition: decadence, apocalypse, and resurrection. These curated sets reflect Pompeii and its influence on popular culture and the world psyche.

Second workshop: 3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.Second rehearsal and performance: 4:00–4:30 p.m.
In a one-hour workshop session, kids learn the power of creative communication through theater techniques such as gesture, facial expression, and body position. In the optional rehearsal session that follows, kids then work with professional actors to create living stage pictures (once called tableaux vivants), inspired by art in the Pompeii exhibition. Rehearsal then culminates in a performance spectacle on the Auditorium stage: The Last Days of Pompeii!!

Family Festival Celebrating Aphrodite and the Gods of LoveApril 21, 2012
Visitors enjoyed a day celebrating the goddess of passion, beauty, and pleasure with a family festival inspired by the exhibition Aphrodite and the Gods of Love. There were enchanting performances by Helios Dance Company and tales of Aphrodite told by storyteller Carl Weintraub, who brought the goddess to life. Inspired by Aphrodite's connection to the sea, a quartet of musicians sounded ship bells to communicate across the Getty's spaces. Engaging workshops invited visitors to make a shell hand mirror, a pair of divine wearable wings, or offerings to build a shrine to Aphrodite and reimagine the goddess in the world of 21st-century Los Angeles.

Family Festival Celebrating The Art of Ancient Greek TheaterDecember 5, 2010
A family festival filled with learning, crafts, and performances, celebrating The Art of Ancient Greek Theater. Children and adults fashioned their own Greek theater masks, costumed themselves as ancient actors, applauded or joined in pint-sized versions of classical Greek comedies onstage, and enjoyed a special appearance by Herakles.

Family Festival Celebrating The Aztec Pantheon
May 22, 2010
Aztec art was at the heart of this family festival that explored the rich cultural traditions of Aztec and pre-Columbian Mexico. Performances included Aztec music and dance by In Tlanextli Tlacopan, sounds of ancient Mexico by Mexika, folk tales and songs from Veracruz by Conjunto Jardin and Aztec folk tales brought to life by the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Art-making workshops offered children a chance to create masks, wings and headdresses inspired by the exhibition The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire.

Family Festival Exploring Archaeology and Conservation
May 31, 2009
A special day of hands-on activities and performances throughout Villa's celebrated gardens and grounds, inspired by the Villa exhibitions Reconstructing Identity, The Getty Commodus, and Fragment to Vase. Performances included Greek music and dance, Musicantica's Italian folk traditions, Fishtank's eclectic melodies from southeastern Europe, and Hercules' exploits reimagined by We Tell Stories.

How to Get Here
The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, approximately 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. See Hours, Directions, Parking for directions and parking information.